Sanding and polishing machine for working on curved and shaped profile pieces



Nov. 20, 1962 E. VICHI SANDING AND POLISHING MACHINE FOR WORKING ONCURVED AND SHAPED PROFILE PIECES 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Nov. 2. 1959INVENTOIZ 7 70/95 V/c/w :By 9% MW ATTORNEY Nov. 20, 1962 E. VICHI3,064,394

SANDING AND POLISHING MACHINE FOR WORKING ON CURVED AND SHAPED PROFILEPIECES Filed Nov. 2. 1959 2 h h et 2 INVENTOR 7" 70,05 V/cH/ By (Fm/ MATTOR/YEV rates 3 064 394 SANDING AND rosin-ma n MAomNa non woma- ING eNctinvnn AND swan PRGFILE The present invention relates to an automaticsanding and polishing machine with a template, a follower and arevolving working table suited to the working of curved and shapedprofile-pieces characterized in that the arm carrying the sanding orpolishing roller is disposed perpendicular to the revolving workingtable to which the template and the pieces to be worked are fixed.

For better illustration the accompanying drawings show in FIG. 1 aperspective view of a preferred embodiment of the machine according tothe invention; in FIG. 2 a side view of the same machine; in FIG. 3 afront view of the same machine; in FIG. 4 a perspective view of a secondembodiment of the machine according to the invention.

Referring now to the FIGS. 1, 2, and 3, 1 indicates the fork-shaped arm,the ends of which carry by means of brushings or bearings the shaft 2carrying the sanding roller or the polishing felts 3. The arm 1 ismounted on the base 4 of the machine by means of the tie-rod 5 andrevolves thereabout. The torsion spring 6 is compressed in such a way asto urge the sanding roller or the polishing felts against the pieces tobe worked mounted on the revolving working table 7. The motor 8, mountedon the upper arm of the fork 1 sets through belts or chains the shaft 2into rotation which carries the sanding roller or the polishing felts 3.The motor 9 placed in the inside of the base 4 of the machine transmitsthe motion to the working turn table 7.

The sense of rotation of the motor 8 and therefore of the shaft 2carrying the sanding rollers 3 is opposite to the one of motor 9transmitting the rotation to the table 7.

If now on the working turn table 7 a template 10 is applied the shape ofwhich is equal to the shape of the pieces to be worked, the copyingfollower 11 (that is also mounted on shaft 2 carrying roller 3) willalways be pressed against the template 10, due to the action of thespring 6, to closely and constantly follow its profile.

It results obviously that also roller 3 will follow the form of thepieces to be worked as these have the same profile as template 10.

The handwheel 12 holds shaft 2 in place thus permitting the replacementof the rollers 3.

The base 4 is made of heavy material for decreasing the vibration of themachine and to guarantee more stability.

The transmission system between the motor and the shaft carrying theroller, between the motor and the turn table, as well as the form of thearm and of the base of the machine may be chosen at will without howeverdeparting from the spirit of the invention.

FIG. 4 shows a variant of the invention that provides betterperformance, still having however the same basic characteristics asthose outlined in FIGS. 1-3.

The machine of FIG. 4 has the additional characteristic that thefollower and the sanding or polishing roller are allowed to approach orto withdraw from the revolving turn table and therefore from the piecesto be worked and from their form.

This characteristic allows performing operations of details of small orlarge dimensions.

While in the machine of FIGS. 1, 2 and 3 the possibili- 3,064,394Patented Nov. 20, 1952 see ties of operations are limited as the arm 1carrying the roller 3 may only effect a limited rotation and thereforecover a reduced range of operation, with the machine of FIG. 4 thepossibilities of operation are much larger.

With reference to FIG. 4, 4 indicates the base and the main body of themachine that is crossed by the slide 22 displaceable by means of therack 23 actuated by handwheel 24.

One end of the slide 22 has a pivot 15 to which the arm 16 carrying thefollower 11 and its registering member 18 as well as the shaft 2 bearingthe sanding roller and the polishing felts 3 is pivoted.

The casing 21 contains the electric motor that sets the shaft 2 andtherefore the roller 3 into rotation. The spring 32., the tension ofwhich is regulated by means of of bushings or bearings the shaft 2carrying the sanding roller or the polishing felt 3 together with thefollower 11 against the pieces to be worked placed on the revolvingworking table or platform 7. This platform or table mounted on the mainbase 4 of the machine is set into rotation (in the opposite sense as themotor actuating the shaft 2) by means of the variable speed motor 25.

As already mentioned in connection with the description relating toFIGS. 1, 2 and 3 the revolving working table 7 carries a template 10equal in shape to the pieces to be Worked and made to continuously bearagainst the follower 11.

It is therefore obvious that the possibility of moving the slide 22through the base of the machine permits one to efiect operations ondetails of small and large dimensions, which are not possible to performwith the machine of FIGS. 1, 2 and 3.

The dimensions of the slide and the means for obtaining the longitudinaldisplacement of the slide 22 may be of course chosen at will withoutdeparting from the spirit of the present invention.

What I claim is:

1. An automatic sanding and polishing machine for working on curvedpieces and shaped profile pieces, comprising a base, a turntable mountedin said base for supporting the piece to be worked, a template mountedon said turntable for defining the configuration the piece to be workedobtains, motive means to rotate said turntable and said template aboutan axis in one direction, a movable slide mounted in said baseperpendicular to the axis of rotation of said turntable and saidtemplate, means to longitudinally displace said slide relative to saidbase, an arm having one end pivotally mounted to one end of said slide,biasing means mounted on said slide adjacent said arm for urging saidarm toward said base, a shaft vertically mounted on the other end ofsaid arm, a workperforming member mounted on said shaft, means to rotatesaid shaft and work-performing member in a direction opposite to that ofsaid turntable and template, and a cone-shaped follower member mountedon said shaft for riding against said template to adjust the wear onsaid work-performing member.

2. A machine according to claim -1 in which said means to longitudinallydisplace said slide consists of a rack operated by a handwheel.

3. A machine according to claim 1 in which said biasing means consistsof a spring, the tension of which is regulated by a handwheel.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS375,332 Besson Dec. 27, 1887 1,109,405 Di Gianni Sept. 1, 1914 2,010,922Leonard Aug. 13, 1935 2,579,337 Reaser et a1. Dec. 18, 1951

